FC Barcelona return to St. James' Park 22 years later

It’s been more than 22 years since Barça last set foot at St. James’ Park. Now, over two decades on, Hansi Flick and his men head to Tyneside to face Newcastle United in their opening group-stage fixture of the UEFA Champions League (Thursday, 9pm CEST). The Catalans have only played twice before at the famous ground.

28 years

The first encounter came in the 1997/98 season, when the Magpies and the Blaugrana met on 17 September 1997 in the group stage of the Champions League. The night belonged to Faustino Asprilla, whose hat-trick secured a 3–2 win for the hosts. Luis Enrique and Luís Figo struck for Barça to keep the contest alive until the final whistle.

Last visit

The most recent trip to St. James’ Park came in the 2002/03 campaign, and this time it ended happily for the visitors. On 19 March 2003, Radomir Antić’s side overcame Sir Bobby Robson’s Newcastle in the second group phase of Europe’s premier competition. Patrick Kluivert and Thiago Motta were on target for Barça, against a home line-up led by their all-time record scorer, Alan Shearer.

Games at Spotify Camp Nou

There have also been two encounters in the Catalan capital. In 1997/98, Pep Guardiola set up Giovanni Silva for the only goal of a 1–0 home win. In 2002/03, under Louis van Gaal, Barça again took the points with a 3–1 victory. Dani García, Kluivert and Motta scored for the hosts, while Shola Ameobi found the net for Newcastle.